How the ISI foments terror

December 15, 2008 16:25 IST

Sabahudin, the man responsible for the attack on the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore and the attack on the CRPF camp at Rampur in Uttar Pradesh, has revealed that he is the one who passed on video clippings of targets in Mumbai to Abu Hamza which in turn was used to train the youth who carried out the Mumbai terror attacks.

Sabahuddin, whose custody has been sought by the Mumbai Anti Terrorist Squad, acted as the point man between Fahim Ansari and Abu Hamza. Ansari had done a recee at Mumbai and shot clippings of the targets. He then met Sabahuddin at Kathamandu, Nepal and passed on the videos and maps which in turn were later handed over to Abu Hamza, the handler for the Mumbai attack.

Sabahuddin, who was arrested by the UP police after the CRPF camp attack, had told interrogators that he had undertaken the IISC attack too. He was also taken to Bangalore where he was subjected to another round of interrogation.

The Laqvi connection:

During interrogation, the 26-year-old Sabahuddin has clearly stated that he was well acquainted with Zaki-Ur-Rehman Laqvi, the Lashkar-e-Tayiba man being called the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks, who has been placed under house arrest by the Pakistan government.

Sabahuddin further revealed that he had met Laqvi after he completed the Daur-e-Khas (LeT training) in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. After the special training, Sabahuddin went to a house which belonged to another LeT operative by the name Muzammil. At his house, he says he met Laqvi for the first time.

Sabahuddin said Laqvi along with Abu-Al-qama asked him to join the LeT which was backed by the ISI so that they could carry out several missions. He was then introduced to Abdulla Mujaheed, the coordinator between the LeT and ISI. Later he was taken to the Jamaat-ud-Dawah headquarters at Murdike which is 50 kilometres from Lahore.

He says the Lashkar gave him accommodation in Lahore at Bhatta Chowki where he stayed for three months. He was given a computer on which he could browse the Internet. He was also taught how to create fake email ids and send out mails.

Meeting with the ISI:

Later he met with Colonel Kyani, Abdul Majid and Subedar Babar from the ISI. They imparted training on intelligence gathering. He was also taught on how to do a recee and surveillance. Another man by the name, Captain Mallik Zafar gave him training on firing. Sabahuddin says Zafar was very nice to him and after training he used to take him out.

He says after training, he was sent back to India with a passport in the name of Mohammad Shafiq and a fake address of Faisabad, Punjab, Pakistan was arranged for him.

Subedar Javed Saab, an ISI officer took him to the Nepal Embassy in Islamabad and obtained a visa. He was asked to pose a carpet seller from Pakistan.

Before setting out to India, Colonel Kyani gave him Rs 25,000. The money was handed over through some person at the Lahore airport. He was directed to take the PIA flight out of Lahore to Doha, Qatar. From Doha, he took a Qatar Airways flight to Kathamandu.

On reaching Kathamandu, as per directions, he tore the Pakistani passport and flushed it down the toilet. He took up a room in a hotel and tried crossing over to India several times by train and bus, but backed out as security was high. He mailed Azeez, an LeT contact in Pakistan about the same who in turn got in touch with Captain Mallik Zafar. The captain in turn sent a man by the name Saifulla, a chief accountant with the LeT. Saifualla, who called himself Vinod, paid a Nepali youth Rs 65,000 to take him across the border on a motor cycle.